Sunderland sex offender used banned software to watch movies on American Netflix

Michael Kerr was put on the sex offenders register in 2022 when he was convicted of sharing child abuse images over social media. Newcastle Crown Court heard he was also given a sexual harm prevention order which banned private browsing or using internet sharing sites.

When police went to his home in March they found he had accessed a website called Pirate Bay which linked to a torrents website and had private browsing, known as VPN, enabled. Prosecutor John Hobley told the court: "He accepts deliberately downloading the VPN to access the American version of Netflix."

The court heard when police visited Kerr again a few days later, he refused to hand over his phone for inspection, which he is also banned from doing. Kerr, 39, of The Broadway, Sunderland, admitted two charges of breach of a sexual harm prevention order.

The court heard he was given a prison sentence for an earlier breach of the same order. This time, Kerr, who has been in custody on remand since April, was given 13 months, suspended for two years, with rehabilitation requirements, because his mother's deteriorating health.

Mr Recorder Mark McKone said the impact on others has to be considered when imposing an immediate prison sentence "including the prospect of your mother dying while her son is in prison".

Recorder McKone said: "Ultimately that is the reason, coupled with you having been in custody for some time, as to why I am suspending the prison sentence." Sophie Allinson-Howells, defending, said the only relationship Kerr has is with his mother and the court heard he has his own health problems.